Hitch



June 27, 1950 c. L. cHRlsTENsEN HITCH Filed March 12, 1948 WWW/255 Patented June 27, 1950 UNI'IIIDv STATES OFFICE,

nlroeiV Charles L. Christensen, Woden, Iowa application Maren 12, we. Seial in. '14,416.0

(ci. 2`sii `:.f ,.4l)v

5 Qlaims. l

The principal object of'lny invention is to provide av foldable hitch'ior farm`^implenients such asfniovinlg'combinesl, and like, that whenattached to the tongue of. Vthe saine 'is capable Aofl pulling awagon or similar vehicle along with the combine'or like.

"A further object of this invention is to` provide a 'wagon or likehitch for combinesthat is easily placed in a folded condition when not in use, or when the combine orlike is passing through a restricted area such as a highway, gate or lilfiel 'LA still. further object of invention is to 'provide avehicle hitch for combines or like, that may be secured to operate either ony the left. or right side of the combine or like.

still further object of this invention is to lL ),rofvide a vehicle hitch for'coinbines or like that is easily and quickly attached to or detached from the combine orlike. U t

` Still further Iobjects of my invention are to provide a vehicle hitch for combines or likeA that isy economical in manufacture and durableV and strong in use.. These` and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.``

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device', whereby the objects Contemp ated are. attained' hereinafter more fully Setipitth. pointed out in', bleues. and illustratedin the aceemnenvins drawings! irl wlihf Fig. -l is a perspective view of my hitch, 'with dotted lines showing its arrangement when in an elevated folded position.

Fig. 2 is across-sectional view of the device taken Oh 1ne`2-2`Of Figflu.`I` v y I y Mlig. 3` isa cres-'sectional view of the device taken on line 343er Fig. 1`,"and more fully illustrates how the hitchl iswattachedto Athe tongue frame' .y

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken on linel 44 of Fig; lA and'rnore fully'illusL trates its construction.`

, Fig. 5 isfav cross-sectional view of a portion of the device taken'on -ine 5-l5 of Fig. 4.

Figl 6` isfa'sideview of the' device taken from line {iQ-B of Figfl'. f my device is particularly designed for attaching a 'wagon `Ato 'tractor'draw'r` harvesting combinefit is obvious that itrnay be successfully used'wherev'er itis desired to attach ayehicleto and along theside anotherv moving vehicle. I n the 'case oi combines, such machines do not hold and lcarry much threshed grain. VrIhe result tint, it gegessen te' Steg frequently et@ uti.-

load` the threshed grain or like into a Wagon or. like; This 'requires much time and labor. I lieve overcome such problems by providing a novel hitch that makes possible thev securing of 'the wagon or'like'to the combine, and the pullingoi thek same ,alongside ine combine during the threshing, operation.

J"Re'ferrii'ig to the, drawingsv I have used the nu:L mer`a1` illfto` generallyL designate theV elongated rectangular frame. 'Ihis portion may bev col1s' i f;lv ered either asthe` tongue, ofthe combine or may be `secured toA or. around'the. tongue off'the come; bine. However, regardless of its'origin or other purposegor, design,y it is secured to, or is va part of the. tongue ofthe combine, and provides a base for the foldable portiony of my hitch. In the drawngsfthis peut l0, besides its end members, comprises the" iour,`spaced` apart elongatedfangle irons l l; 12,' L3. and t4., facing each `other.` In'the drawings I show. the` foldable part of the device extending to the right of ,the member I0. The numerals' Iiand I B designateA two spaced apart bearingv members. The numerals I'l and r 'I3 designate tw'veoden beame'esltine n anti in the two frameangler ironsl'll and l2`1'lSDecg tively. The bearing members l5 and'` i5, 'rest adjacent'the, outerside of the ringle iron 12m. On thefinljiel'r` side, of thej angle iron, engaging the beam It, and adjacent the twobearing 'meni bers l5 and lit, respectively,` are the two plates If and 2t, as shown in Eig. 1. Bolts 2 I coril nect the plate I9, to the bearing member l5 and the plate-29` te. the bearing membergl, By tighteningthese bolts the plates and hearing Inembr will. be drawn togethery demping the angle iron I2 and beam It between them, thereby rigidly. butdetachably securing the bearing members to the trarne l2. The numeral 23 designates a shaft extending between and having its two ends rotatf ably mounted in the beariilig members i5 and 6 The numerals 23 and 2li designate two "spaced apart sleevesfrotatably mounted around the' shaft 2'2 raind'adjacent the bearing members l5, and it respectively. The lrlur'neralz "designates an 'arm formed on the sleeve 24 and normally extending outwardly at substantially a right anglet the longitudinal airis of the frame lil. The numeral 2,6 designates an arm extending from the bearing member 23, forwardly and outwardly so that. its free4 end conta-ets the free end of the arm 25 as shown in Fig. 1. The numeral 2t' designates a draw bar secured on the free end of the arms 25 and 26 and having a hole 28 to facilitate the attachment of the vehicle, wagon or like to be pulled alongside the' combine or like. The numeral 2Q designates brace rods extending between the arms 25 and 26. The numeral 36 designates a vertical post having its bottom end adjacent the inner side of the beam I8 and angle iron I2 and at a point between the two bearing members I5 and I6 as shown in Fig. 1. This post is detachably secured similar to the bearing members I5 and I6, by the use of a plate 3| and bolts 32. The numeral 33 designates a brace having its lower end detachably secured to the outer side of the angle iron II and beam I7 by like plate 34 and bolts 35. The upper end of the brace is bent to the right to meet and be secured to the upper end of the post 30. the outside of the angle iron I3. The numerals 36 and 3l designate two facing bearing members secured to the two arms 25 and 26 respectively, and near the outer ends of the arms 25 and 26 as shown in Fig. l. The numeral 38 designates a shaft journaled in the bearing member 36 and having its outer end attened and bent at a right angle. The numeral 3S designates a duplicate shaft journaled in the bearing member 3l. The two free flattened ends of these shafts 38 and 3% normally extend upwardly and inwardly parallel and adjacent to each other. The numeral 4@ designates a support bar, normally having one end secured to the top portion of the post 30 by a bolt 4I and its other end extending between the two flattened ends of the shafts 38 and 3S and secured thereto by bolts 42. This bar extends downwardly and outwardly to the left and normally supports the arms 25 and 26 in a horizontal plane. When my device is installed as herebefore described it is in an operative position to pull a vehicle. As before designated however, it is desirable at times to fold the hitch as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l. This is accomplished by removing the bolt 4I, raising the wing (consisting of the arms 25 and 26 and associated parts) to a substantially vertical position, and then extending the removed bolt through the top portion of the post 30 and hole in the support bar 40, located near the shafts 38 and 38. The wing of the device will be held in such desired folded condition until it is again desired to lower it to a yhorizontal position. This folding of the wing is made possible by the bearing members I 5 and I6, shaft 22, sleeves 23 and 24, bearing members 3B and 31 and shafts 38 and 39. The bearing members, shafts and parts, also permits the placement of the wing on the left side of the frame when it is desired to have a left side hitch. In such case the bearing members I5 and I6, and the post 30 are placed on the angle iron I I and beam I1, and the member 33 is placed on the angle iron I2 and beam IB.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my hitch without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included Within their scope.

I claim:

v 1. In a device of the class described, a rectangular elongated frame portion, a post extending upwardly from said frame portion, two bearing members secured to the lower portion of said frame, a shaft journaled in said bearing members, two arms rotatably secured to and extending from said shaft and meeting at their outer ends, a means for securing a vehicle to the outer ends of said two arms, two bearing members on the outer end portions of each of said arms respectively; said last two bearing members facing each other It extends, for strength, to

and spaced apart, two shafts journaled in said last mentioned two bearing members respectively each having its free end ilattened and bent at a right angle, a support bar having its outer end extending between the flattened ends of said two shafts and its other end portion adjacent the upper end portion of said post, and bolts extending through said support bar and said post and the flattened ends of said two shafts.

2. In a device of the class described, a rectangular elongated frame portion, a post extending upwardly from said frame portion, two bearing members secured to the lower portion of said frame, a shaft journaled in said bearing members, two arms rotatably secured to and extending from said shaft and meeting at their outer ends, a means for securing a vehicle to the outer ends of said two arms, two bearing members on the outer end portions of each of said arms respectively; said last two bearing members facing each other and spaced apart, two shafts journaled in said last mentioned two bearing members respectively each having its free end flattened and bent at a right angle, a support bar having its outer end extending between the flattened ends of said two shafts and its other end portion adjacent the upper end portion of said post, a bolt extending through the flattened ends of said two shafts and said support bar; said support bar having a bolt hole near its inner upper end and a bolt hole near its outer end, and a bolt extending through the upper end of said post capable of selectively extending through either of said bolt holes in said support bar.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame portion, a post extending from said frame portion, two bearing members detachably secured to the lower portion of said frame, two arms operatively rotatably secured to said bearing members and meeting at their outer ends, a means for securing a vehicle to the outer ends of said two arms, two bearing members on the outer end -portions of each of said arms respectively; said last two bearing members facing each other and spaced apart, two shafts journaled in said last mentioned two bearing members respectively each having its free end flattened and bent at a right angle, a support bar having its outer end extending between the ilattened ends of said two shafts and its other end portion adjacent the upper end portion of said post, and bolts extending through said support bar and said post and the flattened ends of said two shafts.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame portion, a post extending from said frame portion, two bearing members secured to the lower portion of said frame, two arms operably rotatably secured to and extending from said bearing members and meeting at their outer ends, a means for securing a vehicle to the outer ends of said two arms, two bearing members on the outer end portions of each of said arms respectively; said last two bearing members facing each other and spaced apart, two shafts journaled in said last mentioned two bearing members respectively each having its free end flattened and bent at a right angle, a support bar having its outer end extending between the flattened ends of said two shafts and its other end portion adjacent the upper end portion of said post, a bolt extending through the ilattened ends of said two shafts and said support bar; said support bar having a bolt hole near its inner upper end and a bolt hole near its outer end, and a bolt extending through the upper end of said post capable of selectively 5 extending through either of said bolt holes in said support bar.

5. In a device of the class described, a rectangular elongated frame portion, a post detachably extending upwardly from said frame portion, two bearing members detachably secured to the-lower portion of said frame, a shaft journaled in said bearing members, two arms extending from said shaft and meeting at their outer ends, a means for securing a vehicle to the outer ends of said two arms, two bearing members on the outer end portions of each of said arms respectively; said last two bearing members facing each other and spaced apart, two shafts journaled in said last mentioned two bearing members respectively 15 through the attened ends of said two shafts and said support bar; said support bar having a bolt hole near its inner upper end and a bolt hole near its outer end, and a bolt extending through the upper end of said post capable of selectively extending thrcugh either of said bolt holes in said support bar.

CHARLES L. CHRISTENSEN.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 841,794 Line Jan. 22, 1907 1,941,821 Baker Jan. 2, 1934 2,021,840 Ellis et a1 NOV. 19, 1935 2,442,267 Eksergan May 25, 1948 

